Recipe : Moghlai style Chana Masala

Ruelha

If you’ve been following my recipes, by now you must know I cook in accordance with my pantry stock. Nothing goes to waste in my kitchen. I respect food a lot and I meticulously make menu plans and an inventory for perishables that is updated the instant I exhaust something. So, all I have left now is some curd, 2 tomatoes. Among the things that have a better shelf life are a few onions, potatoes, garlic and some eggs. I don’t even have basic ingredients like green chilies, ginger, corriander etc. I have a lot of dehydrated lentils and pulses at hand always. So I came up with this dish that turned out so yum. It’s not the Chhole or chana masala that you’re accustomed to. I will put down the difference in my notes at the end. But, it was so delicious.

Ingredients

  • 150gms Dehydrated chic peas/Kabuli Chana/Garbanzo beans
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 clove
  • 2 Kashmiri chilies
  • 1.5 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 6-7 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • Seasonings to taste
  • 1/2tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • a pinch of asafoetida
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 5 tsp boiled dal/dal flour
  • Water as per desired consistency
  • 1.5 tbsp curd
  • 1.5 tsp kasuri methi

Instructions

Soak the chickpeas in salted water overnight.
Heat a pressure cooker. Add some ghee. Add in the clove.
Add the garlic.
Break the chilies and saute a little. Kashmiri chilies give out a beautiful red colour. The are very mild for someone with a seasoned Indian palette. It’s purpose is to impart a nice red shade.
Add the chopped onions.
Add the salt.
Add the tomatoes.
Cook a bit.
Let the tomatoes get a little mushy.
Add the spice powders.
Add the dal and saute.
Cook the masala nicely like this.
Add water as per desired consistency.
Add the soaked beans after rinsing them several times in fresh changes of water.
Mix well and shut the lid. Cook under pressure for 7 whistles or 9minutes post pressure build up.
Add the curd. Adjust seasonings.Add kasuri methi and give dhungar. Keep aside with lid tightly shut for a few hours for the flavours to be absorbed by the beans.
Serve hot with any Indian flatbread. Ideally, this dish is served with yummy fried puris, which is deep fried wheat flatbread. I prefer to replace it with a healthier substitute – chapatis that are roasted instead of frying. They’re prepared the same way with the same ingredients. One’s deep fried and the other is dry roasted.

Notes:

  • Kashmir chilies are never used in chhole. But, just look at that lovely deep red hue. Isn’t it gorgeous?
  • Curd is such a weird ingredient to add to chhole. I am really just trying to finish up my curd packet. But, I was so pleasantly surprised because it imparted such a rich flavour to this dish.
  • Instead of curd, anardaana{pomegranate seeds} or even amchur{dry mango powder} is usually used. I have never bought anardaana which can be used in just one dish alone that I probably make once in a month at max. But yes, that is the ideal choice.
  • Instead of garlic, a lot of ginger is used to spice up a good chhole. Ginger is great in chhole. But I just didn’t have any. I highly recommend using it though.
  • Go easy on the hing please. It is a very powerful ingredient if used in excess will just ruin any dish.
  • Traditional chhole will not have any methi or dhungar. I wanted to make it like a nice fusion Mughlai dish so, I twisted everything up. So yum, I tell you!
  • Cooking time will vary depending on a lot of factors. Get acquainted with your pressure cooker. This is just a suggestion.
  • Garnish with finely chopped onions, coriander and lemon juice.

I hope you enjoy cooking and eating/serving this dish.

-RUELHA 
www.ruelha.com 
© Copyright Protected. All Rights Reserved.

25 Comments

    1. I completely understand. I was exactly like you….But, few months ago I have been refraining from meat and I realized vegetarian food can be quite delicious too. I have been experimenting a lot with vegetarian and I’ve come to realize, it has a lot to offer. Well, meat is always up top on my list, but I like experimenting in the kitchen, so….. 😉
      Until my return…. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Hehe Yeah.. Told Katrina
        As soon As i Run out of
        Words my New Hobby
        Will Be Chef She looks

        At me In Disbelief
        Yet No one Thought
        The Last Kid picked
        In Sports Who
        Couldn’t
        Speak

        Until 4 Would
        Ever Be Athletic
        Director of A Military
        Station Still Strongest
        Leg Pressing Dude at
        The Gym 61 on 6.6.21
        Pounding Away up to 1520 Lbs
        (Don’t Forget To Write
        My Birthday Poem Rue
        Hehe) And Metro
        Dance
        Legend
        Either
        With 14,833
        Miles Of Public
        Dance With the
        9.2 MiLLioN Words
        Of Free Verse Poetry
        Either In Fact If Anyone
        Told Me i Would Be Doing
        All of That At 61 When i
        Was

        21

        i Probably
        Would Say
        Hell No To
        The Call to
        Adventure
        Oh God Please
        Don’t Make Me
        Do All Of That

        And Chef Too

        All i Have to Do
        Now is Not Run
        Out of Words And
        Steps too to Stay

        Out

        Of

        The
        Heat Of
        The Kitchen
        Dear Rue Rue😜

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        1. I’ll give you an idea. And I’m pretty certain Katie will back me up here on this one….
          Why don’t you fulfill your chef dreams every weekend? 😉 😉 🙂
          Make a nice lovely romantic dinner for the two of you…..I’m pretty certain Katie won’t mind some blackened meats and bread. 😉 😉
          I’m juts teasing ya Fred! And yes, your birthday is a day to remember indeed. Difficult to forget, don’t ya think? 😉

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

          1. Hehe i Mentioned Your Suggestion With Katrina
            About The Chef Designed Weekend Blackened
            Meats And Bread And True She Most Definitely

            Agreed With

            You Rue Saying

            i Must Be Kidding HAha
            Back to the New Subaru Versus
            Paid-Off Honda Civic Blue Debate

            It Appears The Tide is Turning my
            Way As the Close to Million Re-calls
            The Subaru Company Made on Their
            Vehicles Including Foresters Has
            Sullied The Perfection Katrina

            Sees in Them And On
            Top of that A Guy
            We Know
            Leaving

            The Barnes
            And Noble Bookstore
            Last Week By Chance
            Parked in Front of Us

            Leaving At The Same Time
            Remarking How Beautiful the

            Civic Looks Saying my Gosh it
            Looks Brand New As He Didn’t take

            As Great Care of His Ride As Katrina still
            Takes Care of the Civic’s Needs It Appears
            That The Civic’s Home in Our Garage May Yes

            Last A Few More Years Plus Katrina Gets A Brand
            New Front Door And Storm Door Soon She Also Got
            A New Faucet for the Kitchen Sink And Almost Got A
            New Refrigerator Yet My Sister’s Partner Fixed it Cheap….

            So She Still Gets to Feel Like She is Living in Luxury Even
            Without A Brand New Special Blue Colored Subaru Forester Satisfied

            Living

            NoW FreelY iN
            Forest Green With

            Wings And Fur i Am Hehe…
            Oh Yeah 6.6.60 For Birthdate
            Does Have Traditional Significance

            Where i Live As A CuLTuRE For Sure…

            At Least i Don’t Get Carded Now For A Beer
            With Folks From Church Walmart Cashiers
            Who Fear the Mark of my Driver’s License
            As as i haven’t Touched Alcohol or
            Caffeine Since my Forties Yet
            It’s True Hehe the
            Audience at

            The Dance

            Hall Always insisted
            They See my ID After
            Watching me Float All
            240-245 or So Pounds of my
            Body Like A Feather in the Wind…

            To Prove my Very Advanced Age

            Plus it’s Dark in the Dance Hall
            Everyone Looks Lovely in The DarK Hehe…

            HAha Except for Occasionally When they Saw
            A ‘Red Glow’ of My EYes Changing From Blue and Green Behind SHaDES..;)

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply

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